Joint session could be called if no consensus on land bill: FM Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of dissenting voices in the Joint Parliamentary Committee by pro-Sangh outfits as well as social activists, finance minister Arun Jaitley has revived the threat to the Opposition that the Modi dispensation is not averse to convening a joint sitting of Parliament in case it falls short of numbers in the Rajya Sabha on the controversial land acquisition bill.

Speaking to reporters in Stanford University, US, on the sidelines of a programme, Jaitley hoped a joint sitting would not be needed to pass The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2015, but if the need arises the NDA government would not hesitate to go for it.

"I hope, we do not have to reach that situation (of convening a joint sitting) and it gets sorted out before that. The present government, as far as the constitutional mechanism is concerned, has the numbers. Therefore, we would like to make sure that this landmark reform in India does take place,"Jaitley said.

Though PM Modi and senior ministers of his government have emphasised that passage of the bill is not a prestige issue for them, the one-year old regime wants to send across a message to investors that it is pro-reforms.

A joint committee, comprising members from both the Houses of Parliament and headed by BJP MP SS Ahluwalia, is engaged in finding common ground to ensure smooth sailing for the bill, especially in the Rajya Sabha where the NDA is in a minority.

However, even Sangh-affiliated organisations like Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram have raised objections to some of the alterations made in the NDA bill. Completely removing the consent and the ‘social impact assessment’ clauses are the main sticky points.

Modi and his ministerial colleagues have indicated that the government is ready to incorporate amendments provided convincing arguments are put forth. In his interaction with reporters in the US, Jaitley did not give a timeline for the joint sitting.

"We would like to ensure that this landmark reform in India does take place,"Jaitley said, adding, "The land law which was approved in 2013, in my view, has hindered the complete development of rural India. Almost 55% of India is rural India,"he said. Jaitley said: "I am keeping my fingers crossed as to how this debate would proceed. But I do hope that the committee comes out with some agreed formulation, otherwise, if consensus eludes us then a joint sitting will take it up."